The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cultivar of schefflera plant named Covette. Covette is a sport of an unnamed cultivar of Schefflera arboricola. The parent cultivar is unpatented but available commercially.
The genus Schefflera includes over 150 widely-distributed species of shrubs and trees of the family Araliaceae. These species typically have compound leaves (racks), the leaflets of which are arranged finger-fashion, and are generally long-stalked. One species from Australia, S. actinophylla, is thought by some to comprise a separate genus (Brassaia). In any event, S. actinophylla is popular as a house plant, having glossy-green, lanceolate leaflets, usually 5 to 7 per cluster, that have some serration.
Another Schefflera species of Taiwanese origin, S. arboricola (also known as "Hawaiian Elf"), is a freely branching plant of dwarf habit, resembling when young a miniature Brassaia (S. actinophylla). The obovate-shaped leaflets of S. arboricola are arranged in racks of up to 15 cm across, comprising 7 to 8 leaflets. While the combination in S. arboricola of hardy dwarf habit and tree-like appearance is desirable, a dull (non-glossy) leaf has contributed to making S. arboricola less popular as a decorative plant than S. actinophylla.
The new cultivar of the present invention was discovered by me in Stuart, Fla., as a mutation of an unnamed plant of S. arboricola. More specifically, the mutation was observed initially as a single branch growing from one plant of the parent cultivar, in a cultivated area. By asexual reproduction, via soil-rooted stem cuttings, of the new cultivar in Stuart, Fla., I have reproduced the unique features of the new cultivar through successive propagations. The cultivar, as asexually reproduced, is characterized by a compact form (approximately 30 inches wide and 38 inches high) and, like the parent cultivar, by vigorous growth, but additionally possesses foliage that differs substantially from the parent cultivar, for example, in leaf size, shape and texture.